Beeson Podcast, Episode #528 Kwabena Okai-Tweneboah Dec. 22, 2020 >>Announcer: Welcome to the Beeson podcast, coming to you from Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University. Now your hosts, Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla. >>Doug Sweeney: Welcome to the Beeson Podcast. I am your host, Doug Sweeney, here with my co-host, Kristen Padilla. We are in the middle of a three week series on the podcast with a few of our December grads at Beeson. We’re learning from them about their time here in Birmingham, God’s work in their lives, and their plans for the future. We hope you enjoyed last week’s interview with graduate Aubrey Johnston. Today we will be speaking with our dear friend Kwabena Okai-Tweneboah, who goes here by [Okai 00:00:57]. And has often worked behind the scenes on the podcast with our media manager, Rob Willis. We hope these interviews will give you a little glimpse into the amazing work of God here at Beeson Divinity School, and will encourage you as well about this next generation of ministers of the gospel. As you hear these students talk, we invite you to pray for them as they follow God’s call to take the gospel to the world. Kristen, would you please introduce today’s guest? >>Kristen Padilla: Yes. Welcome everyone to the Beeson Podcast. We are glad to have our friend Okai on the show today. Okai is from Ghana and he just completed his MDiv degree at Beeson. He, as Doug has already mentioned, works with our media and technology manager, Rob Willis, and he’s also a member of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. So, Okai, we’re so glad that you have agreed to be on the podcast today. We wanted to say, welcome. >>Okai: It’s so good to be here. >>Kristen Padilla: We always like to begin getting to know you better and so we would love for you to introduce yourself to us. I’ve already mentioned that you’re from Ghana, but if you want to say more about where you are from and how you came to faith in Jesus Christ. >>Okai: Thank you for having me. It’s so good to be here. As you said earlier, my name is Kwabena Okai-Tweneboah. Interestingly, here at Beeson a lot of people have been calling me “Okai” because of the spelling of my name O-K-A-I. But the pronunciation is actually OH-KINE, like O-K-I-N-E. So, I go by Okai. Kwabena is a Ghanaian name, which simply means I was born on a Tuesday. So, the Ghanaian culture is such that when you mention your name at least someone knows the day that you were born or basically where you are coming from. So, Kwabena simply means I’m a Tuesday born. So, I’m from a family of five. Four boys and one girl. I’m the last, but one, I have a kid brother with an age difference of nine years. My father is a Methodist minister in the Ghana Methodist Church. [inaudible 00:03:18]. And my mom is Paulina [inaudible 00:03:21]. So, I am very lucky to say I came from a very strong Christian background. For me, some of my earliest Christian memories is way back when I was very young. I remember my dad taught us how to play instruments. So, what we would do is my dad would just carry us along and you’d just go to a village and set up instruments and you play something. As you play music a lot of people will come around to listen and in the end my father would preach. That was taught at a very young age. I still remember. So, in Ghana most of the places that my dad works they were mostly villages. So, what happened was some of those places we didn’t have a place of worship. That means worship was done in the house. In Ghana worship means a morning devotion, it normally starts at 5AM each morning. So, from Mondays to maybe Sundays you have no other option than to go to a morning devotion to be involved in church as long as it is done in the house. So, for me, life was very interesting because I grew up in church and everything was church. But I mostly tell people I think life changed for me when I was in high school. Initially when I was going to high school ... So, in Ghana high school is mostly a boarding school. So, that was the first time that I was actually living with my parents. So, I thought, “Hey, this was the right time for me to explore another life outside of the church.” But I think the story was very different. I went to high school and I think that was when I always say God called me. From the high school it became more of an individual experience with God than being in a community. So, from high school I felt like I wasn’t going to church because my dad was asking me to go. I was going to church because God was calling me to something. So, in the high school I became the president [inaudible 00:05:35] which simply means Ghana Methodist Student Senior. So, I became the president for that denomination. During our induction into service that was when I really felt God was calling me. So, my [inaudible 00:05:51] really started in high school. From there I’ve been working with the church [inaudible 00:06:00] still continued and I went to the university. I did accounting. I did business administration and I majored in accounting. Interestingly, when I was growing up the goal was to become an IT expert. I wanted to become a computer scientist. So, I spent all my time learning computer. Somewhere in high school I decided to do accounting. So, I went to university and did accounting. Life was moving on. By some way, somehow I’m here. (laughs) That is a little bit about myself, how I came to faith. >>Doug Sweeney: Well, that’s the next question I wanted to ask you about, Okai. How did you get from Ghana to Beeson? When did you first hear about Beeson? Why did you decide to come? >>Okai: Just an advice for anyone who would be listening ... Anytime you see something in the Body of Christ and you don’t really want to go do anything about it, don’t pray about it, so to me I think that was how my journey started. (laughs) Career-wise I think I was really doing good. I was working, as I said earlier, one year as an auditor and one year as an accountant. I think it was okay. But I saw a need in Ghana. The need was that I saw the need for pastors, a lot of pastors to be trained. Sometimes for you to really understand this you should understand that almost 70% of the Christian population in Ghana is either Pentecostals or Charismatic. In Ghana we call them one man church. Simply means it’s run by just one man. Most of these pastors they don’t have any sort of theological education. You can just start up one there and start a church. So, I saw a lot of [inaudible 00:07:57] and a lot of need for people to be trained. And I think I started praying about it. And I was just praying, “God will send someone.” But over the years I felt God was just putting that burden on me. Initially I was trying to sweep that under the carpet, but there were a lot of people asking me, “Have you prayed about it? Maybe God is calling you to do something about this because you talk about it a lot.” So, I talked with my dad and I was like, I feel God is calling me to some way, somehow leave my accounting career and pursue ministry. But my dad first said I should go to something Methodist. But looking at what I thought God was calling me to, it was more of a non denominational kind of setting. So, I was like, I wish I would do something non denominational. So, there is this missionary who came to Ghana and he worked with my dad for almost five to six years. He’s part of our family now. He’s called John Russell. So, I got to talk with him and I was like, “Hey, John, I think God is calling me to do something.” He was like, “Yeah, I’ve seen that for a long time.” I shared my vision with him and he was like, “Let me recommend my school.” So, John Russell is actually a Beeson alumni. So, I had two admissions. One from Asbury University and one from Beeson. But I decided to take on Beeson because of the nondenominational aspect and that was basically what I thought God was calling me to. >>Kristen Padilla: Well, Okai, we have loved having you at Beeson. I just want to share with our listeners one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories that I have is you at our house with our son, Philip, and us sharing a meal together. But it’s one of those things that reminds me that international students, you don’t get to go home a lot. I think for you, you haven’t even been home to Ghana this whole time. >>Okai: Nope. >>Kristen Padilla: What is it like being an international student? Maybe what are some of the challenges you’ve faced? It would be of great interest to our listeners hearing your experience as an international student. >>Okai: Yeah. I think there is a lot of challenges. In the first place, culture in terms of culture is very different. Very different. For me, I mostly tell people I’m from Ghana and mostly when a lot of American’s think of Africa they think of a country. But I like to remind them that Africa is a continent. It has like 54 countries. Ghana is just one part of those countries. So, for me, the first time that I was leaving Ghana was when I was coming to Beeson. So, basically I left Ghana not knowing anywhere, just coming for Beeson. So, the flight was a straight flight from Ghana to Washington, D.C. then D.C. to Huntsville, then John Russell picked me up from Huntsville to Birmingham. So, basically for me that was the kind of transition. So, everything was new: language, culture, food, everything that I can think of. But I think when I was coming I just knew I was coming to study. So, in terms of my academics I think the first thing that was so hard was the language. So, transitioning from accounting to a lot of reading. It was too big for me. I remember the first day in class, my first class, was Dr. Beckwith and my second class was with Dr. Gignilliat. And I still remember in Gignilliat’s class basically I heard nothing. I was like everything was way over me. So, I was like, “Oh, am I really going to be able to do this?” So, straight from class I went to Wal-Mart. I got a recorder and I had to record all classes and I have to keep listening over and over again just to get used to the language. Because in Ghana we speak English but we speak British English. And hardly will I speak English when I’m with my friends or family. English is the official language but we hardly speak it. So, for me, language was a big thing. And I think one other challenge was trying to fit in. I think naturally when I came the first mistake that I wanted to do was try to find a group of people that I’ll fit in, like a church. I wanted to find a Black church, an African church, but (laughs) I was like, “No, I’m here to learn.” So, I don’t really have to go to a Black church. I have to find a different church. So, I think trying to fit in, knowing that you are different language-wise, you speak it and people don’t hear what you are saying. Funny enough, whenever I hear people speaking I try to understand what they are saying, but later I realized when I speak people don’t hear and they don’t really ask me what I was saying. So, it was a challenge trying to fit in, trying to communicate, so to me I think it was mainly language and trying to fit in. I think that was the big thing. Yeah. >>Doug Sweeney: What about your time here on campus, Okai? Tell our listeners just a little bit about how God has used Beeson, your experience at Beeson, some of your classes and professors at Beeson to draw you near to him and prepare you for a life of ministry? >>Okai: Yeah. That is a nice question. So, I really Beeson has been a blessing. So, when I was coming to America I was single-minded. I talked with some of my colleagues and it’s like some of them came to Beeson and they had an idea for what they wanted to do. Like, “I want to learn Old Testament.” “I want to learn Church History.” But for me it was like, “God, you are calling me to do this. I don’t even know what I’m going to do. Just help me to learn.” I still have friends in Ghana who still don’t know the reason why. They would say I’m wasting four years just to do this. Meanwhile it’s like, “You’re already in ministry why would you want to spend four years just to train?” I came single-minded, very open. I remember before I started every class my prayer was, “Father, why am I learning this? How will this be important in whatever you have for me in the future?” So, I think it would be very hard to just pinpoint one class to be like, “This was the most formative class.” But I think personally I like the biblical languages; Hebrew and Greek. Just because it gives me opportunity to sit with the original text and just have time to sit with the Bible. So, I think for me I would say Greek and Hebrew has really been one of the classes that I’ve really enjoyed. With Beeson, one experience that I [inaudible 00:15:23] at Beeson and I think it’s not only at Beeson but in America, so I mostly tell people in terms of culture everything is different. Sometimes people try to ask how is Ghana like ... I try to explain it to them but [inaudible 00:15:40] I know they kind of understand if I’m just trying to put words to it. But one thing that I’ve realized is that the only thing that remains constant, the only thing that has not changed is God and the God factor. I think one beauty that I see here at Beeson is that we have to go from different denominations but I think that which connects us is the subject Jesus. So, when Jesus is the subject I think it is so wonderful, especially during community lunch. You see Presbyterians and Methodists sitting down and eating and laughing, just because the subject is Christ. I think I mostly tell people one thing I really like about America is the idea of denominations. When you tell someone I’m from a Methodist church they kind of put it in a box, or from a Presbyterian church, they kind of define you. But here at Beeson because Jesus becomes a subject of what we do here you see that unity, that community. So, to me, it brings life to Revelation when you see people from different backgrounds, ethnicity, praising the Lord. I think when the subject is Jesus people don’t really look at themselves, they look at Jesus. I think that is one beauty that I always, whenever I see my colleagues from different denominations sitting down and talking. I think that has always been the beauty. >>Kristen Padilla: You mention, Okai, just that community aspect. I wonder if you can talk about that more? I know that you have served on our SGA, I think, last year you were part of our SGA and helping to plan events. What have been some of your favorite aspects of the Beeson community and perhaps you can share some of your favorite memories that you’re going to take with you to Ghana. >>Okai: Yeah. So, I think if there is one thing that will always want me to come back to Beeson it is a sense of community. Tuesday community lunch, just getting to sit down ... When you are in the seminary most of our discussion becomes very theological and sometimes (laughs) it’s like you don’t really get to feel that [inaudible 00:17:53]. But I think at Beeson you always get to talk with people and you get to know their hearts. Sometimes you get to know family. So, for example, yesterday I spent three hours with a Beeson grad [inaudible 00:18:07] just talking about life and just praying together. And I think that is one of the riches that Beeson always provides, the community. Events like ... I’m trying to pronounce that ... >>Doug Sweeney: Finkenwalde? >>Okai: Yeah. It’s so amazing just to have a community just a break from class and talk to people. I think that is one thing that Beeson really is known of. >>Doug Sweeney: Okai, because I know you I know that 2020 will be a very memorable year in your life and not just because it’s been the COVID-19 year. I happen to know you also got engaged this year to a woman named Eunice who lives on another continent. Not the continent of Africa. Not the continent of North America. But who lives in Europe in the UK. Tell us what you’ve been learning from the Lord this year amidst all these unusual experiences? The COVID epidemic, trying to get engaged from the United States ... how has that been for you? >>Okai: Yeah, so COVID ... I think COVID really ... [inaudible 00:19:15]. As you said earlier, initially I was planning to go to Ghana somewhere in the summer to get married, but COVID kind of changed everything. So, for me, in terms of America and COVID I feel like what I really miss was coming back to Beeson, because for me, my [inaudible 00:19:39] here in American has been Beeson and church. If I’m not at Beeson I’m at church or I’m at home. So, quarantine was something that I was a bit used to. So, that was not a huge challenge. I think, for me, the challenge was basically all my plans being scattered and in terms of my visa and everything, especially with marriage. So, I think one thing that really God has taught me with this COVID is how man [inaudible 00:20:11] but it is God who really gives the victory. So, basically it gives me a sense to trust God more and just believe him. In my mind I had everything ... I thought I had everything planned. But (laughs) it came to a point where I really had to depend on God. So, I think COVID has really hit me hard, but it has also given me more room to trust God and just depend on God and knowing he has everything together. Even though on this part of Heaven we don’t really see it. But I think the [inaudible 00:20:45] has really been amazing. >>Kristen Padilla: Okai, earlier in the podcast I asked you to talk about being an international student. I want to bring that back up again because at Beeson we love international students and we want more of them. We would love to hear from you why should internationals consider coming to Beeson? Hopefully some will be listening to this podcast. And then flipping the question, what would you suggest to Beeson as we look forward to welcoming more international students? >>Okai: Before I came to America I had most of my memories that I knew about America was from movies. (laughs) I think it is very different when you are here. I mostly tell people I’m not really exposed to America, I’m exposed to Beeson. So, maybe when I go back to Ghana my experience will not really be like an American experience, but it will be like Beeson experience. So, I think for me Beeson, as we mentioned earlier, is more of a community. So, the truth of the matter is it is very hard to live in America as an international student. So, [inaudible 00:22:00] advice or any international student who wants to come to America – if it’s not God who is actually calling you, don’t come. Because trust me it gets very frustrating. For me when I was coming, in my mind I was thinking, “Hey, visa-wise I’ll be able to work and [inaudible 00:22:22].” But when you get here everything is so complicated with your visa and everything. But I think the vision is if it is God who is calling, he always makes the provision. So, the first advice is if you really want to leave Asia or your continent to come to America just for school, just make sure its God who is leading. So, when the frustrations start to come, when the [inaudible 00:22:47] starts to come your confidence will still be in the fact that God called me to do this. And for me I think that is what has really kept me going. So that when times get tough the joy has always been the future glory that I know God will get from whatever thing that he is calling me to do. So, that has always kept me going. So, the first advice is if God is not calling you or if you don’t really feel God calling you then I would advise you to pray about it again. I will always recommend Beeson for several reasons. One because of the professors. A lot of people ask me questions like, “Who is your favorite professor here at Beeson?” And I’m like, that is so hard to say because each of the professors they have different personalities, different knowledge that they come with it, and one thing that I tell people is that over the years I’ve seen a lot of people with knowledge and it’s like knowledge has a way of puffing you up. But one thing about Beeson is that you see people and professors with a lot of knowledge but here they are very humble. That is my prayer that I’ve always been praying for, that even as I leave Beeson I should learn from my professors. You meet people that [inaudible 00:24:11] yet they are so humble and always they come to the authority of scripture. I think that, for me, makes Beeson like home. Getting down to sit with scripture and seeing scripture as very authoritative in everything that we do. I think that is a thumbs up for Beeson and I’m praying in the future I will walk away with that humility that I learned from most of the professors here. I always talk with Eunice and that has always been the topic. I’m like, “I really want to learn humility from Beeson.” I think I was humble, but I think God is actually calling me to a different level of humility. Just looking at most of my professors. I think that is one thing that is so amazing here at Beeson. >>Doug Sweeney: Last question, Okai. Speaking of Eunice and speaking of the future, what’s next for you? Where is God taking you? How do you think he wants to use you in the years ahead? >>Okai: Yep. As I said, God called me, “Just go” and I left. I didn’t know where I was going. (laughs) He was faithful, he brought me here. As it stands now I strongly feel God is still calling me back to my people [inaudible 00:25:32]. So, I was praying about it and as it stands now there is an organization called Designs for Hope. So, what they do is they do a lot of things, but basically they have a department that works on theological education for pastors and church leaders and churches. So, this summer I had an opportunity to work with them. So, they wanted someone to kind of read their resources and give an African perspective of the material that you are going to use. So, during the summer, during the lock down I did most of that. And as it stands now I feel like God is calling me to work with them. So, the goal is I will have to go to Ghana, but before that I will want to get married. So, married is top on the radar. So, as soon as I can leave America then it’s going to be to get married, probably in the UK, because Eunice cannot go to Ghana until maybe somewhere late next year. So, the goal is to go to the UK, get married, spend some few months there. Move to Ghana. And see what God has for me. So, as it stands now I’m still praying to work with Designs for Hope. That is the goal. >>Doug Sweeney: Wonderful. You have been listening to Kwabena Okai-Tweneboah, one of the best and brightest of Beeson Divinity School. One of our most recent graduates. A member of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. An employee with Media and Technology at Beeson. We love you Okai. We’ve enjoyed getting to know you. We will be praying for you as you head on. We ask our listeners, please pray for Okai, his fiancé, Eunice, and the work of God in his life and ministry as he leaves this place. Thank you for joining us. Good bye for now. >>Kristen Padilla: You’ve been listening to the Beeson podcast. Our theme music is written and performed by Advent Birmingham of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Our engineer is Rob Willis. Our announcer is Mike Pasquarello. Our co-hosts are Doug Sweeney and, myself, Kristen Padilla. Please subscribe to the Beeson podcast at www.BeesonDivinity.com/podcast or on iTunes.